Standard Lemma guide

contemptible

adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /kənˈtɛmptəbəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 N T EH1 M P T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Deserving contempt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: despicable, disdainable, hateworthy, abject, filthy, base, beggarly, blameworthy, carrion, cheap, choical, contemptible, cringing, damnable, dedecorous, degraded, deplorable, deridable, derisible, despisable, dirty, discreditable, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable, execrable, groveling, hylic, hylical, ignoble, ignominious, inglorious, lame, laughable, loathsome, lousy, low, ludicrous, mean, mean-spirited, miserable, obscene, outrageous, paltry, pathetic, pissass, pitiable, pitiful, plebeian, punk, putrid, reprehensible, reprehensive, reptile, reptilian, reptitious, ridiculous, risible, roynish, scabbed, scald, scornworthy, scummy, scurvy, shabby, shameful, shit, sleazy, slavish, slimy, sordid, sorry, trashy, ugly, uncommendable, uncool, unmentionable, unwashed, unsophisticated, unworthy, vile, vulgar, weak, worthless, wretched

Antonyms: respectable, venerable

2

adj

Meaning 2

Carrying or having contempt; contemptuous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

deserving of contempt or scorn

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: estimable

History

Etymology

From Middle English contemptible, from Latin contemptibilis. By surface analysis, contempt + -ible.

Across languages

Translations

65 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: нікчэмны (nikčemny) — deserving contempt
  • Belarusian: ва́рты пага́рды (várty pahárdy) — deserving contempt
  • Bulgarian: достоен за презрение (dostoen za prezrenie) — deserving contempt
  • Bulgarian: низък (nizǎk) — deserving contempt
  • Bulgarian: подъл (podǎl) — deserving contempt
  • Catalan: menyspreable — deserving contempt
  • Chinese Mandarin: 可鄙 (kěbǐ) — deserving contempt
  • Czech: opovrženíhodný — deserving contempt
  • Dutch: verachtelijk — deserving contempt
  • Esperanto: aĉa — deserving contempt
  • Finnish: halveksittava — deserving contempt
  • Finnish: alhainen — deserving contempt
  • French: méprisable — deserving contempt
  • Galician: desprezábel — deserving contempt
  • German: verachtenswürdig — deserving contempt
  • German: verachtenswert — deserving contempt
  • Hebrew: בזוי (bazui) — deserving contempt
  • Hebrew: בזויה (bzuia) — deserving contempt
  • Hungarian: megvetendő — deserving contempt
  • Ido: desestiminda — deserving contempt
  • Irish: dímhigneach — deserving contempt
  • Irish: drochmheasúil — deserving contempt
  • Irish: míolach — deserving contempt
  • Irish: neamhshuimiúil — deserving contempt
  • Irish: péisteogach — deserving contempt
  • Irish: péistiúil — deserving contempt
  • Irish: sramach — deserving contempt
  • Irish: suaibhreosach — deserving contempt
  • Irish: suarach — deserving contempt
  • Italian: biasimabile — deserving contempt
  • Italian: disdicevole — deserving contempt
  • Italian: disprezzabile — deserving contempt
  • Italian: ignobile — deserving contempt
  • Italian: riprovevole — deserving contempt
  • Italian: scorbutico — deserving contempt
  • Italian: spregevole — deserving contempt
  • Japanese: 蔑むべき (sagesumu beki) — deserving contempt
  • Latin: contemptus — deserving contempt
  • Latin: contemptibilis — deserving contempt
  • Macedonian: ни́зок (nízok) — deserving contempt
  • Macedonian: по́дмолен (pódmolen) — deserving contempt
  • Macedonian: по́дол (pódol) — deserving contempt
  • Macedonian: пре́зрив (prézriv) — deserving contempt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: foraktelig — deserving contempt
  • Persian: خوار (xâr) — deserving contempt
  • Plautdietsch: niedatrajchtich — deserving contempt
  • Polish: godny pogardy — deserving contempt
  • Portuguese: desprezível — deserving contempt
  • Romanian: demn de dispreț — deserving contempt
  • Romanian: disprețuibil — deserving contempt
  • Russian: ни́зкий (nízkij) — deserving contempt
  • Russian: подлый (podlyj) — deserving contempt
  • Russian: презре́нный (prezrénnyj) — deserving contempt
  • Serbo-Croatian: podao — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: bajo — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: desdeñable — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: despreciable — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: menospreciable — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: rastrero — deserving contempt
  • Spanish: contentible — deserving contempt
  • Ottoman Turkish: آلچاق (alçak) — deserving contempt
  • Ottoman Turkish: رذیل (rezil) — deserving contempt
  • Ottoman Turkish: ذلیل (zelil) — deserving contempt
  • Ukrainian: зневажений (znevazhenyy) — deserving contempt
  • Yagara: ban — deserving contempt